Adjustable water ski binder



July 17, 1956 J. P. BRIDGES 2,754,526

ADJUSTABLE WATER SKI BINDER 'Filed Dec. 23, 1954 F ig.

L' n m" INVENTOR Joseph R Bridges ATTORNEY United States Patent ADJUSTABLE WATER SKI BINDER Joseph P. Bridges, Lakeland, Fla.

Application December 23, 1954, Serial No. 477,369

4 Claims. (Cl; 9-21) This invention relates to sports of various kinds and to the equipment used in connection therewith. The invention relates more particularly to the manner of securing skis such as those used on the water, to the feet so that they will beretained in the proper position during the use of the same.

Heretofore, various types of fastenings have been used for securing water skis'and the-like to the feet of the skier, but these fastenings have not been entirely satisfactory because they did not maintain the ski in proper position in normal use resulting in the ski becoming detached thereby causing a spill. Further, some types of fastening means have been secured in such a manner that they would not be freed thereby endangering the skier because he could not easily swim with the ski attached to the foot.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the defects of the prior art structures and provide an efficient means for securing a persons foot to the ski or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ski binding which is adjustable to accommodate'the foot of dilierent sized persons.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ski binding which is permanently attached to the ski and provide for voluntary adjustment to accommodate various sizes of feet.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the-following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a ski with the adjustable binding of the present invention mounted thereon;

Pig. 2, an elevation of the structure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a section taken on line 3 -3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4, a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5, a perspective of the base plate shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6, an elevation of a portionof the ski with a modified binding construction thereon; and

Fig. 7, an exploded view of the heel receiving base plate and portions of the guide straps of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 6.

Referring in detail to the drawing, upon a ski 10 a pocket 11 of flexible resilient material is mounted and such pocket is open at the rear for receiving the toe and instep portion of a persons foot, a flat relatively rigid strap 12 is secured along one edge of the pocket 11 and extends rearwardlytherebeyond an appreciable amount, while a similar strap 13 extends along the other edge of the pocket. Suitable fastening means such as screws or the like 14 fixedly secure the straps and the pocket on the ski 10. The rearwardly projecting portions. of the straps 12 and 13'are supported in spaced relation from the ski 10 by means of spacing elements such as washers or short tubes 15 through which the rear fastening screws 16 pass and into the ski maintaining the parts in assembled relation.

A base plate 17 is slidably mounted between the straps ice 12 and 13 and the body of the ski 10 and for longitudinal sliding adjustment and a limited transverse movement. The transverse movement is limited by a first bar 18 which is fixed to the base plate 17 by rivets or the like so that such bar 18 engages the said one strap 12 when the base plate is in operative position and a second strip 19 which is also secured to the base plate 17 is normally spaced an appreciable distance from the strap 13 to allow the limited transverse movement of the base plate 17 while the edge of base plate 17 remains at least partially under the strap 12 to prevent unintentional removal of such base plate. The base plate is provided with a plurality of L-shaped notches 19 which open to the adjacent edge of the base plate for coop-' eration with an adjustment screw 20 which passes throughthe strap 12 and into the ski providing an abutment stud 21 which is received in the selected L-shaped notch19".

The base plate 17 is provided with a cutout 22 to permit the heel of a person to rest directly upon the ski 10 and a heel receiving pocket 23 of generally U-shaped configuration has its lower margin secured around the edge of the cutout by means of a U-shaped member24 which overlies the lower marginal edge of the material forming the heel pocket and is secured to the base plate,

17 by suitable fastening such as screws or rivets 25.

From the above the operation and use of the binding is believed to be obvious. The instep and toe receiving pocket 11 is secured to the ski by means of the straps 12 and 13 and the securing screws 14. The base plateil'7 adjustably mounted between the rearwardly extendin portions of the straps 12 and 13, while the notches 19" may selectively receive the stud formed by screw 20.- The plate 17 may be moved forwardlyvand'toward the strap 13 to the first dotted line position designated A, thereby permitting the plate with the heel receiving pocket to be adjusted longitudinally from the position shownv in full line in Fig. l to the dotted line position B also shown in Fig. 1. Intermediate adjustments are similarly ob:

tained so that the desired spacing between theme and. instep receiving pocket 11 and the heel receiving pocket:

23 will accommodate a wide variety of sizes of feet.

Referring more particularly to the modification of the invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7, upon a ski 30 a toe and instep receiving pocket 31 is secured by relatively rigid metal straps 32 and 33 which overlap the marginal portion 34 of the pocket 31 and are secured,

to the ski by suitable fastening elements 35 such as screws or the like. Each strap 32 and 33 is provided with an offset 36 providing a greater spacing between the rearward extensions of the straps 32 and 33 and the ski 30.

Mounted upon the ski 30 with its margins extending.

in the spaces between the straps 32 and 33 and the ski is a heel receiving base plate 37 upon which is mounted a first guide bar 33 adjacent one edge. Formed in the. base plate 37 at the said one edge are a plurality of L- shaped notches 39 similar to notches 19' previously described. Adjacent the other edge of the heel receiving base plate 37 is a second guide bar 40 and outwardly of such bar a series of L-shaped notches 41 are formed insubstantially parallel relation to the L-shaped notches 39 but the ends of the cross portion of the L-shaped notches 4-1 are open to a longitudinally extending slot 42.

The spacing between straps 32 and 33 and the ski 30 is suflicient to permit sliding adjustment of the base plate 37 and the rearrnost end of the straps 32 and 33'are each provided with a downwardly extending leg 43 which engages the ski 30 to maintain the strap 32 in accurate spaced relation, the end of such straps being'secured by.

a. screw 44 or the like.

For retaining the base plate 37 in adjusted position,

a shouldered screw 45 passes through an aperture in the strap 32 and is screwed to the ski 30, such shouldered screw 45 being receivable in any one of the notches 39 similar to the relation between notches 19 and screw 20 of the previous modification. A similar screw 46 is arranged to pass through an aperture in strap 33 for cooperation with a corresponding one of the notches 41 for retaining the base plate 37 in adjusted position. It will thus be seen that the base plate 37 may be adjusted close to the toe and instep receiving pocket 31 or rear- Wardly thereof, the guide bars 38 and 40 preventing the base plate from being removed from the ski.

A heel retaining pocket 47 is secured to the base plate, 37 by means of a U-shaped member 43 which overlies the lower marginal portion of the material forming the heel receiving pocket 47 and is secured to the base plate by rivets or the like 49 around the cutout 49A in the heel receiving base plate. The straps 32 and 33 instead of being rectangular in cross section may have a half round upper surface or the upper corners of the rectangular cross section straps may be beveled or rounded to avoid sharp edges which might cut a person, and similarly the cross section of the U-shaped members 48 and 24 may be rounded or beveled in a similar manner to prevent cutting of a person.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and, therefore, the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a ski, a pocket on said ski open at the rear and made of flexible resilient material for receiving the toe and instep portion of a persons foot, a flat relatively rigid strap secured along each edge of the pocket and projecting rearwardly therefrom and securing the pocket to the ski with the rearward projecting portion of each strap being spaced above the ski an appreciable amount, means to secure the extreme rear end of each strap to the ski in spaced relation, a base plate slidably mounted on said ski and extending in the space between said projecting portions of said straps and said ski for longitudinal and transverse sliding movement, a first bar on said base plate for engaging with one of said straps to limit the transverse movement of said base plate, a second bar positioned adjacent the other edge of said base plate and spaced from the other strap when the first bar is in abutting engagement with the said one strap whereby the base plate is permanently maintained in position, said base plate being provided with a plurality of L-shaped notches on the said one edge thereof, a locking screw extending from said one strap to the ski and providing a fixed stud for cooperation with a selected one of said L-shaped notches thereby providing for adjustment of said base plate toward and from said instep and toe receiving pocket, said base plate being provided with a heel receiving cutout so that a persons heel may pass therethrough and rest upon said ski, a heel receiving pocket on said base plate of generally U-shaped formation and opening toward said toe and instep receiving pocket, a U-shaped fastening strap extending around and overlying the lower margin of said heel pocket and cutout, and means to secure said U-shaped member to said base plate, said base plate with the heel pocket being adjustable for accommodating different sizes of feet.

2. Means to removably secure a persons foot to a ski comprising a pocket of flexible resilient material for attachment to the upper surface of the ski for receiving the toe and instep portion of a persons foot, a flat relatively rigid strap for securement along each edge of the pocket and of sufiicient length to project rearwardly therefrom for attachment so as to be spaced above the ski an appreciable amount, a base plate of a width for mounting on said ski so the edges of said base plate extend in the space between said straps and said ski providing for longitudinal and transverse sliding movement, a first bar mounted on said base plate for sliding engagement with one of said straps to limit the transverse movement of said base plate, a second bar positioned adjacent the other edge of said base plate and spaced from the other strap when the first bar is in abutting engagement with the one strap whereby the base plate may be permanently maintained in position, said base plate being provided with a plurality of L-shaped notches formed on the said one edge thereof, a fixed stud projecting downwardly from said one strap for cooperation with a selected oneof said L-shaped notches thereby providing for adjustment of said base plate toward and from said instep and toe receiving pocket, said base plate being provided with a heel receiving cutout so that a persons heel may pass therethrough and rest upon said ski, a heel receiving pocket on said base plate of generally U-shaped formation and opening toward said toe and instep receiving pocket, a U-shaped fastening strap extending around the margin of said cutout and overlying the bottom edges of said pocket and fixed to said base plate retaining said heel receiving pocket in position, said structure being adjustable to accommodate different sizes of feet.

3. Sports equipment comprising a ski having means to retain the toe and instep portion of a foot on a ski including guide straps arranged in substantially parallel relation and spaced above the ski rearwardly of said toe receiving pocket, a heel receiving base plate positioned on the ski with its edges underlying said straps, said base plate being provided with a series of L-shaped notches on each edge thereof arranged in substantially parallel relation, one series of L-shaped notches having their horizontal legs extending inwardly, said base plate having a longitudinally extending slot in communication with the free ends of such horizontal legs of the said one series of L-shaped notches, an abutment fastening element extending between each strap and the ski for cooperation with corresponding slots at each edge of the base plate for retaining the base plate in adjusted position on the ski, and means on the base plate for engagement with a heel of a person to retain the toe and instep portion of a foot in the toe and instep receiving pocket.

4. A ski, toe receiving pocket, a heel receiving pocket, a base plate supporting said heel receiving pocket and having laterally extending notches formed on one side edge thereof, a first strap means along said one edge of said base plate and said toe receiving pocket to slidably mount said base plate and to secure said toe receiving pocket on said ski, a cooperating abutment means on said first strap means for cooperation with said notches to positively retain the base plate in adjusted position, means on the base plate for cooperation with said first strap means to limit the lateral movement of said base plate whereby the base plate will be positively retained References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,165,547 Hill July 11, 1939 2,327,783 Hains Aug. 24, 1943 2,382,149 Hartman Aug. 14, 1945 2,664,578 Clinedinst Jan. 5, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 173,649 Austria June 15, 1952 484,038 Canada June 17, 1952 

